Surface covering



1941- A. A. GLIDDEN ETAL 2,231,995

SURFACE COVERING Filed Dec. 21, 1936 [/VVE/V 7095 AL FRED A. GL/DDE/V D.GARDNER Patented Feb. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SURFACECOVERING Alfred A. Glidden, Watertown, and Joseph D.

Gardner, Quincy, Mass, assignors to Hood Rubber Company, Inc.,Watertown, Mass, a corporation of Delaware This invention relates tosurface coverings for caskets and other structures.

Surface-covering fabrics for caskets heretofore have had the objectionthat when glued to the casket theglue has penetrated through the fabricand has marred the appearance of the outer surface thereof. Cottonnapp'ed fabrics have been particularly susceptible to this difficulty,and even where felt has been used the glue has leaked ,0 through thinportions of the felt.

As most caskets have ornate and irregular outer surfaces it is necessaryto work the suface-covering material around sharp corners and intorecesses many of which have reversed-curve designs [5 and otherintricate formations requiring that the material be capable ofconsiderable distortion in order that it may be conformed to the contourof the casket surface. In many places it is necessary to stretch thematerial with the result that when the material resists such stretchingthe adhesion of the material to the casket surface is weakened at theseplaces.

The chief objects of this invention are to provide an improved coveringfor caskets and other structures, to provide for preventing penetrationof glue through the covering, to provide a coverin that may be easilyconformed to an intricately irregular surface and be permanently held insuch form by adhesion, to provide pliability and stretch- 0 ability ofthe covering without excessive elasticity, to provide good insulatingprotection for the casket body, to provide for attractiveness of thesurface, to provide a flocked surface covering with the flocked surfaceattractively maintained, and to provide for economy of materials.

These and further objects will be apparent from the followingdescription, reference-being had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, with parts broken away and sectioned, ofcasket covering material constructed according to and embodying theinvention in its preferred form. v

Fig; 2 is a cross-section of a portion of a casket wall showing thematerial adhered to the surface thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, with parts broken away and sectioned, of alower corner of the covered casket.

Referring to Fig. 1, the improved covering material is first prepared insheet form. Accordin to the preferred embodiment of the invention thesheet material comprises a stretchable base layer IO, preferably ofloosely woven, light weight fabric composed of soft twisted yarns andhaving a nap II on the bottom surface thereof to facilitate the adhesionof glue or other adhesive thereto for adhering the material to thecasket surface. Upon the base layer I0 is adhered a layer II ofnonresilient rubber composition, preferably totally unvulcanized andcontaining no sulphur or other vulcanizing ingredients, so that it willretain its pliable and stretchable properties without acquiring materialresilience. The layer 12 of unvulcanized rubber includes among itsadvantages the fact that glue, when applied to adhere the 10 compositematerial to the casket surface, will not penetrate through the material,even when the glue is in a hot liquid state, and the unvulcanized rubberlayer has the advantage also that it'is readily manipulated to conformthe material to 1 intricate irregularities in the casket surface, andalso that it is readily workable under cold as well as warmtemperatures. The layer llalso constitutes an insulating layer andprotects the wood or other material of the casket body from moisture 20and other deteriorating influences after the casket has been put in theground. If desired, the rubber of layer l2 may contain fibers or othercomminuted material serving to increase rather than decrease thenon-resilient character of the rubber 25 compound, but such materialsare not essential.

Upon the layer I! of unvulcanized rubber is applied a layer l3'of cementor other adhesive material, and upon this is deposited a layer ll ofsurfacing material, preferably flock, which is held 30 in place by theadhesive layer I3. For the surface I any suitable fibers may be usedsuch, for example, as cotton fibers, rayon fibers, silk fibers or anyother suitable animal or vegetable or other fibers, and the fibers maybe dyed to give the desired color. Preferably the compositesheet is now,passed through smooth heated rollers to embed the fibers more firmly inthe adhesive layer, l3 and to improve the adhesion of the severallayers. Preferably also the material has a surface deposit l5 oflacquer, paint or other ornamenting material, which may be applied bythe use of a printing roller. This deposit is applied in the form offine lines or other suitable design, leaving a considerable surface areaof the flock exposed. Lacquer is preferred for this deposit because inaddition to its attractiveness, it serves well as a binding material forthe flock and as a protection therefor. If desired, the flocked surfacemay be ornamented also by embossing.

The composite sheet material is now applied to the surface of a casketbody I8, which may be of wood, composition, metal or other suitablematerial, and the covering is adhered thereto as by means of a layer llof glue or other suitable ad- F hesive or bonding material. In Fig. 3the composite sheet material is shown as applied to a lower corner of acasket, the composite material being designated generally by the numeralI8. In 5 order to conform the composite sheet material to the irregularsurface of the casket, including its numerous crevices and projections,the material is worked with suitable tools and is locally stretched orotherwise deformed to conform to the surface. Any lumps of glue or othermaterial that may cause bumps in the sheet material are reduced bypounding with hammers or mallets, and owing to the pliability andcushioning qualities of the material this may be done without adverselyaffecting the surface appearance, the flock being locally brushed afterthe pounding to restore its suede-like appearance. If the lacquerbecomes objectionably dented in spots it may be removed by rubbing witha wet-cloth and the nap of the flocked material may be raised to presentan even appearance.

In addition to providing an attractive suedelike surface, the layer M offlock has the advantage that it permits considerable yielding of thelayer It for conformance with the casket surface without objectionablyaffecting the surface appearance, the individually embedded fibersmaking possible an evensurface appearance of the distorted material. Themaintenance of an even surface appearance of the flock is assisted bythe lacquer film l5, especially when it is applied in fine, closelyspaced lines or in other closely spaced zones, the zones of lacquerserving toprotect the flock from rubbing fingers or other objects bybridging them and thereby protecting the flock, and by using a lacquerof the same color as the flock, the surface appearance may be madevirtually the same as the uncoated fiock, except on very closeinspection.

40 The fabric base layer H), which may be woven as in the preferredembodiment or of knitted or any other suitable construction, providesreinforcement against rupture of the composite material while permittingadequate distortion or 5 stretchability of the material. The nap llaffords a good grip with the glue and assists in taking up and gettingrid of the moisture of the glue and entrapped air.

The unvulcanized rubber composition layer I2 50 is readily flexed,stretched and. otherwise distorted along with the other layers of thecornposite sheet into conformation with the irregularity of the casketsurface, and it assumes the worked shape. permanently without taking onstrains such as to weaken objectionably the adhesion to the casket body.The unvulcanized rubber composition of layer 12 may be raw rubbercomposition that has not been subjected to any vulcanizing treatment, orit may be unvulcanized rubber composition made by plasticizingVulcanized rubber by a suitable reclaiming process, so as to bestretchable but not materially elastic. In some cases where the casketto be covered is of such plain form as to require little or nostretching of the covering to conform it to the surface,.the rubbercomposition of the layer l2 may be vulcanized to a degree according tothe elasticity permitted, but for casket surfaces requiring considerablestretching of the covering to conform it to the surface, theunvulcanized rubber composition is best suited. While unvulcanizedrubber composition is preferred for the layer 12, because of itsdesirable properties, in-

cluding plasticity without excessive elasticity, its

stiffness against undesirable flow, and its waterproof character, otherplastic materials having these properties in suitable degree may beused.

The invention is especially useful for covering ornate caskets ofvarious types, including burial caskets and jewel caskets, and it isapplicable also to the surface covering of many other structures, suchas trunks, suit cases, cartons and other containers, and for boxes orchests for such articles as silverware it has the advantage that therubber contains no sulphur to tarnish the silver.

Variations may be made without departing from the invention as it isdefined in the following claim.

We claim:

Decorative and protective composite sheet covering material for casketsand other structures, said material comprising a stretchable base layer,a stretchable, substantially non-elastic layer of plastic materialcomprising unvulcanizable rubber composition and a stretchable surfacelayer of ornamenting material, said layers being integrally united toprovide a composite sheet material that is" stretchable andsubstantially ALFRED A. GLIDDEN. JOSEPH D. GARDNER.

